SF Bay Area to Yellowstone to Denver

[Tootall58]

Hello,

Will be taking a great trip to Yellowstone down through the Grand Tetons and then to the Denver area and the Rocky Mountains National Park. Have this part of the trip mapped out, but have some questions about a couple of potential routes back to the Bay Area.

The first and most likely route is 70 out of Denver into Utah, connecting with 50 and taking 50 back to Nevada then to 80 and back to the Bay Area. Some questions I have is what types of grades we should expect on 70 leaving Denver and as we are transitioning from Colorado into Utah.

Pulling a 26' Jayco Jay Feather trailer with our 2007 Nissan Xtera, slow but steady. So want to be sure we will not have problems particularly in Colorado when leaving Denver. Thanks for any incites and alternative route suggestions.
Don

[fanrgs]

Tootall58 wrote:
The reason we are going to go through Denver is we have never been there before and are seriously considering relocating to that area in the next 1 - 2 years. We are planning on retiring in that area or one of the surrounding areas. Don

Retirement is wonderful--I should have done it years ago! I have lived in the Denver area for 50 years and my wife is a Golden native.

If you have lived in the Bay Area for a long time, my first suggestion would be to spend some time in Colorado in winter before you make a final decision on moving here. We may not have your earthquakes, but, if you have watched the news the last couple of years, we do have floods, wildfires, tornadoes, and blizzards. So, if you want a few tips on how to minimize some of those hazards and perhaps where to begin looking for a retirement location, PM me with a wish list of housing/community preferences.

[Tootall58]

Thank you all for your input, great suggestions. The reason we are going to go through Denver is we have never been there before and are seriously considering relocating to that area in the next 1 - 2 years. We plan on visiting the entire state of Colorado, but want to check out some of the sites and the communities. We are planning on retiring in that area or one of the surrounding areas. Will definitely capture all of your great suggestions and keep them in mind for future visits. Thanks again,
Don

[padredw]

My choice would be that suggested just above by 4runner. We have made this "Peak to Peak Highway" from Estes Park down to I-70 several times and greatly prefer it to going through Denver.

[4runnerguy]

Is there some reason you are going to Denver? If not, from Estes Park I'd take CO 72 south to CO 119 and hook up with I-70 just east of Idaho Springs. It's a slower route but avoiding the Denver traffic and the first pull up to Genesee makes it a good option.

I-25 to Colorado Springs is another option but that means traversing significant traffic all the way from the north (Loveland) to the south (Colorado Springs). Yes, even traffic between Denver and Colorado Springs can be slow on weekends and certain times during the week.

If you take I-70, once you top out Vail Pass it's all downhill. As for US 50 across NV, this is our preferred route to CA. A few passes separated by long, straight roads across the desert valleys.

[Tootall58]

Wow, A Big Thank you Fanrgs! Really appreciate your experience and insights. Great suggestions that we will take into serious consideration! Time is an issue, but we hopefully can take the route you suggested and possibly one or more of the side trips!
Don

[fanrgs]

If you coming all the way to Denver, can I assume that you are not planning to tow your trailer over Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park? If leaving Denver on I-70 heading west, you will have 6% grades on entering the Front Range at Genesee, at Georgetown, on the descent from the Eisenhower Tunnel, and on Vail Pass, but all are either 4 or 6 lanes. If you are trying to just make time and not see many sights along the way, that is the fastest route.

If you are not in a big hurry, take I-25 to Colorado Springs, CO 115 to Canon City, and US 50 to Salida, Monarch Pass, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. From Montrose, take US 550 south to Ridgway, camp at Ridgway State Park (FHU or electric-only sites), then take a side-trip to Ouray and Silverton without the trailer. Next take CO 62 and CO 145 to Placerville (and maybe a second side-trip to Telluride), Norwood and Naturita, and CO 90/US 191 to Moab. Visit Arches NP and Dead Horse Point State Park, then get back on I-70/US 6/US 50 just east of Green River, and head to the US 50 exit at Salina.

Just a suggestion if you really want to see more of what Colorado has to offer than just Rocky Mountain National Park, Denver, and I-70.